Atlantis has flawless docking with Mir

September 19, 1996
Web posted at: 12:30 a.m. EDT

(CNN) -- Guided by lasers and video cameras, space shuttle pilots flawlessly docked Atlantis with Mir, setting up a long-awaited return trip for astronaut Shannon Lucid. (24 sec./996K QuickTime movie)

The pilots completed the delicate maneuver with virtually no room for error, overcoming obstacles such as glare from the sun and the awkward position of solar panels on Mir.

Check out the Vivo movie "Atlantis docks with Mir" Download a player Vivo's technical FAQ

The docking was completed at 11:13 pm EST (0313 GMT) 240 miles (384 kilometers) above southeastern Europe. The hatches between the two crafts are expected to open at 1:39 EST (0539 GMT), with a celebration occuring shortly afterward. (138K AIFF or WAV sound)

With the docking complete, crew members from both spaceships began the process of securing the two crafts and clearing the way for the transfer of supplies and personnel.

Commander Bill Readdy thanked Mission Control workers in Houston for their help in the docking, which was described by another crew member as a 10 on a scale of one to 10.

The shuttle's arrival ended a three-day chase through space that began early Monday with a pre-dawn launch from Florida's Kennedy Space Center.

Lucid has been awaiting her ride home since early August. The shuttle was running nearly seven weeks late because of rocket problems, a threatening hurricane and scheduling difficulties.

Once the hatches open, the first order of business is for Atlantis astronaut John Blaha to take Lucid's place on Mir, beginning a four-month tour of duty for the former Vietnam fighter pilot.

Atlantis will be berthed at Mir for five days while supplies and equipment are transferred to and from the station. The shuttle is due back to Earth September 26, ending Lucid's 188-day mission, a record for a woman and the longest by an American.

Wednesday evening, Atlantis successfully fired T-1 rockets, beginning a smooth approach for the two craft, travelling at 17,500 miles per hour above the earth but at a slow relative speed of a few inches per second during docking.

As the craft approached, the astronauts and cosmonauts could see one another through their respective windows.

"When the hatch is opened and crew members of Mir and Atlantis exchange greetings, Shannon will be happy to see us," Readdy said. "She's very happy on Mir, but she'll be happy to see us, too."

The docking maneuver is extremely intricate, crew members said earlier Wednesday. "I'll be taking over manually and trying to fly the shuttle along a very precise corridor," Readdy explained before the two spacecrafts docked.

Added pilot Terry Wilcutt, "We'll stop, make sure the shuttle's perfectly aligned, and ... we'll proceed in a careful, slow and predetermined way."

The Atlantis crew members have brought fresh garlic, onions, cucumbers and oranges for Valery Korzun and Alexander Kaleri, the two Russian cosmonauts aboard Mir. The cosmonauts, in space for a month, requested zestier foods.

The docking -- the fourth linkup between Mir and Atlantis -- will serve as practice for the international space station, which will be built in orbit beginning next year.

Correspondent John Holliman and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Related stories:

• Atlantis closes in on Mir - September 17, 1996
• Atlantis soars toward Mir - September 16, 1996
• Astronaut Lucid to come home 'younger,' more patient - September 12, 1996

Related sites:

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• CNN's Space Exploration Gallery
• NASA Shuttle/Mir: Shannon Lucid
• Space Station Mir Info Page
• NASA Shuttle STS-79 Mission Page

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